It has been an interesting ride over the last few months, and I have been unable to really keep up with much. Between working on two different projects, moving to Florida, and handling all that venture entails, I have been a little lax with my readers. For this, I apologize.

In the meantime, I am now taking part in Nano Wrimo. For the next 30 days, I will be testing my skills and creativity to create a 50,000 word manuscript. I will keep everyone posted on how it's going.

That's right. After a creative drought, I have finally started to get back on the old riding horse of inspiration.

It helps that I have been able to work more on my ideas and manuscripts and worry less about the everyday concerns that plague us as humans.

So many times, people think that we writers, indeed, any artist, spends our days in deep contemplation. As we mill about our beautifully appointed flats, waiting for the spirit of inspiration to hit, we are often with a flute of champagne in our hands, staring at mundane objects, waiting for something to spark.

In all reality, I don't have time to mill. As for a beautifully appointed flat, mine is more a cozy apartment in the middle of downtown Albuquerque. And I am usually busier than a one-armed paper hanger. So, there is no waiting. Inspiration often hits, for me, at the most inconvenient of times. In rush hour traffic, in the grocery store check out line. Any time I am not near my computer. Hence the pad of paper I carry in my purse.

Luckily, I have had enough of those moments over the last few weeks to start stringing them together into one cohesive thought process. Hence, Just Another Bored Housewife is now in full production, along with a new manuscript, the details of which will be r

After a good deal of personal and professional re-evaluation, I am finally back on track! For those of you anxiously awaiting Bored Housewife, fear not, progress is being made. Red Willow is coming along swimmingly, and everything is going well on research and story line. So, thanks for all th

So much for New Year's Resolutions. I do apologize for having not updated the Blog in a while. I have been going full force on Just Another Bored Housewife. It has been a ride, let me tell you, and I am still not even halfway done!!!

In other news, it is a very cold winter, here in the Land of Enchantment, and as the temperature drops, I am more inclined to stay inside and knock out a few chapter.

I have received all of your wonderful emails, and I will be addressing all of the comments and questions in a future blog. Just let me get my head straight folks, it's been a heck of a year so far.

With Christmas over, everything can finally go back to normal. I must say, I haven't gotten much writing done, what with all the out of town family and friends that I have been visiting, the baking, the presents. With every passing day, I felt the itch to write, but didn't want to sit down for a mere few minutes. When I get in that mood, I know I have to ride it until the end, and there was no way I was going to be able to devote much time to it.

I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful Christmas wishes, and I would like to say I hope you had a wonderful holiday season too. Now, it is back to the grindestone for me, and I am sure some of you are feeling the same way. So, Merry Christmas to all, and

I went to our local library last week. I wanted to see what kind of information I could dig up on Llorona. You see, it is my opinion that one source of information is not enough. It only gives you part of the story. To find the truth, or to complete your research, you must, and I cannot emphasize this enough, MUST dig as deep as you can, and then dig a little deeper.

There is something profoundly inspiring about going through volume upon volume. Seeing many different illustrations, reading varyings accounts that all have a common thread. Something about this whole process just urges

Is there anything better than waking, first thing in the morning, and seeing a fresh blanket of snow on the ground? The tiny flakes form a coat around bare trees, and the ice fairies have been painting on the windows. A fresh cup of hot coffee and silence are the perfect compliment to such a morning.

Unfortunately, I also have to go out into that snow. I would love nothing more than to sit inside all day and admire the beauty and gifts of mother nature, but the kids have to go to school. So, I grudgingly tug on my boots and trudge through inches of snow to start the car and warm it up.

Such is the price to live in beauty. When I was growing up, I couldn't wait to get out of here. In all honesty, however, Taos is the best place to be if you are even remotely creative. An artist colony by tradition, we are very supportive of creative minds from all genres of media. It's refreshing really, and I couldn't be in a better place. The energy here just nourishes creativity, and I thank the spirits that I am so lucky.

Enjoy this lovely weather and all the gifts of nature. Soon, there will be another Bubbles adve

I don't know about anyone else, but I love a holiday where the entire point is to eat as much as possible and then take the world's longest nap.

In the grand tradition of things, I am currently cooking up a storm in my house. Luckily, I am smarter than the average bear, and I made the spiced pumpkin mousse and the dough for the rolls last night. One less thing for me to worry about. Now, with the turkey in the oven making my house smell like heaven, I figured I would sit down with you, my lovely readers, and answer a few email questions.

Tina from Chicago asked why I choose to bring Bubbles back to New Mexico. I know, at the end of The Witch's Revenge, I eluded to the next book being set overseas, however, I believe that we have more than enough creepy tales around here to fill an entire series, and I mean to do so. Bringing Bubbles back was a strategic move on my part, and frankly, I feel it was smart. This is a tale that, while well known and repeated in my area, not a whole lot of people know about. The tale of Llorona is a rich and cultured one, and I wanted to expand Bubbles' range, and show a new side to him. I promise, the wait is well worth it.

Devon from San Diego has written to ask me if there will be a sequel to One Stone. No, Devon, I do not think there will be. That story has been told. I will more than likely continue to write on the subject matter, but I feel that Breanna's story has come to an end. However, the subject of abuse and the empowerment of the survivors is a focus of mine, so I am sure that I will always write on this subject matter, to one degree or another. If you liked One Stone, Just Another Bored Housewife will knock your socks off.

I am thankful today for all the blessings I have been given. My writing ability, my tenacity, and of course my family. But most of all, I am grateful for you all, Dear Readers, since without you, I would never have the readers to write for. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and Blessed Be.

The thermometer drops, and the clouds come out to play with the mountains in my little town. A light autumn breeze make the pinion trees stir, and I am reminded why I am the luckiest woman alive. I have three healthy children, a supportive family, and I get to do what I love and live from it.

A friend once told me, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. This is a literal truth. I am lucky enough to write. Like any other profession, there are the frustrations, the days you just want to take a sledgehammer to your computer, the prose doesn't come out just right. But then, there are days when the words fly onto the page, the image is conjured just right, and you soar with your manuscript and know that you have created something truly beautiful, or profound, or thought-provoking. THAT is why I do this. That is why I suffer through the writer's block, the hours of research, the days when I don't even want to look at my computer, let alone touch it. I write because when I do, something inside me swells, and I am real. On the page, I exist.

To a non-writer, or a casual reader, these words do not make any sense. But for those of us who have been called to this profession, we know all too well what these words mean.

Stay warm out there, my dear readers. Curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book. Enjoy life for what it is, and may you truly be happy every day of your life.

Yes, the dreaded writer's block. That horrible, awful feeling of staring at a blank page. You have the story, you even know where you want it to go and how you want it to end. The problem is getting it there.

As a writer, I find myself facing this terrifying foe all too often. My story line is solid, but I just can't find the words to express what I want to say. The more I try to force it, the bigger the block becomes until, soon, I can't write anything at all.

For those of us who need to write, this is a horrifying scenario indeed. Our life's blood is literally tied into our ability to jot down our thoughts and dreams, and when we cannot, life seems somewhat dull in comparison. The fact that we cannot make the words pour out brings our very nature to a standstill.

If you find yourself in this situation, do what I do. WALK AWAY. Put the manuscript down and just leave it for a bit. I know it is hard, and the writer in your is compelled to sit and try to bring it out, but the fact is, anything you try to write will sound forced and dull. When I come back to my manuscript, hours or days later, I am always able to find that spring of creativity welling up within me and bursting through.

It is not an easy life being a writer. Nor is it nearly as glamorous as everyone seems to think. If you want to make it in this business, you have to know when to push and when to sit back. When I was a child, my brother gave me an analogy that to this day rings true. He had a tangle in some thread, and I was trying to help him work it out. He said to me, "Never pull. Like a relationship, if you pull, it will break." Funnily enough, this doesn't just apply to relationships, but to many areas of our lives. So, I will not pull. I will just work through my knot until the tangle is released.

Author

I am a mom of six crazy kids that keep me on my toes. My husband and I raise our children in the southwest, which does not lack for inspiration. I have many varied interests that are reflected in my writing styles and subjects, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.